THE GREAT AMENDMENT HUNT OF 09.

Over Twitter, Ewstephe unearths a very weird amendment from last night. Roger Wicker submitted a change to the section of the budget that funds Amtrak. "None of amounts made available in the reserve fund authorized under this section may be used to provide financial assistance for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) unless Amtrak passengers are allowed to securely transport firearms in their checked baggage."

In other words, if I can't pack a rifle, Amtrak doesn't get funding. This was passed by the Senate in a voice vote.

And that's just one of the hundreds of weird amendments passed last night. So join in the Great Amendment Hunt! Instructions here.

About the Author

Ezra Klein is a staff reporter at The Washington Post. You can read his blogging here. His work has appeared in the LA Times, The Guardian, The Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review. He's been a commentator on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and more.